Am I Even a Candidate?

Colleges & Universities University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>Hi, I’m going to be a senior in high school (over 3000 students total, and 1000 in my grade alone) in Pennsylvania (so out-of-state) which is ranked as one of the top high school’s in the country. </p>

<p>*SAT Reasoning Test - 2100
-Math - 750
-Writing - 700
-Verbal - 650
*SAT Subject - Math II - 640

  • US History - 650</p>

<p>*Unweighted GPA - 3.5 / 4.0
*Weighted GPA (the normal way most schools do it) - 4.3
*Weighted GPA (my school’s weighted one) - 5.62 / 6.0
*Class Rank - 83/1005 - top 8% of my class</p>

<p>*Classes Freshman Year - HP/Gifted English, HP/Gifted American History, Honors Physical Science, Honors Latin II, Honors Geometry
*Classes Sophomore Year - Honors English, Honors World Cultures, Honors Biology, Honors Algebra II, Honors Latin III,
*Classes Junior Year - AP English, AP US History, AP Latin, AP Statistics, Honors Physics, Honors Pre-Calculus, Honors Chemistry I
*Classes Senior Year - AP English, AP US History, AP Biology, AP Psychology, AP European History, Honors Calculus
*Outside Study - Greek
*Total AP Classes - 9
*Total Honors Classes - 14
*I take the hardest courses available to me for each subject</p>

<p>*Extra Curriculars Freshman Year - Student Government Association (Homeroom Repliaison), National Junior Honors Society (Member), Concert Band (Clarinetist)
*Extra Curriculars Sophomore Year - Class Cabinet (Class Vice President), Indian Cultural Association (Member), Student Government Association (Class Representative)
*Extra Curriculars Junior Year - Class Cabinet (Member), Indian Cultural Association (Member), Student Government Association (Class Representative), National Honors Society (Member)
*Extra Curriculars Senior Year - Class Cabinet (Member), Indian Cultural Association (Vice President), National Honors Society (Member), Student Government Association (Class Representative)</p>

<p>*Outside Services and Things
-Helped my local government Commissioner with his elections (which he won) two times
-Helped my local US House of Representative with her election (volunteer)
-Helped with Allyson Shwatz’s Congressional Campaign (volunteer)
-Helped with Kathy Boockvar’s Congressional Campaign (intern)
-Volunteer continuously at my two temples
-Tutor kids in various subjects
-Volunteer for local events
-Work at Kumon Learning Center - tutor and teach kids from ages 3-17 since 9th grade</p>

<p>*Awards
-American Legion Award
-Contiguously getting the Honor/Distinguished Honor Roll Award
-Business Award
-Service to Student Government Award
-Cum Laude National Latin Exam - 9th Grade
-Cum Laude National Latin Exam - 10th Grade
-Cum Laude - Philadelphia Classical Society - 10th Grade</p>

<p>*Ethnicity - Indian-Asian
*Religion - Hindu
*First Time College Student (well my brother just graduated college (Yale) so he would be the first in the family)
*Income - Middle Class Family</p>

2

<p>3.5 UW is rather low. Otherwise fine. I’d say a small chance</p>

3

<p>SAT score is average for Berkeley. GPA is very low. By the way, it’s called First Generation College Student, not First Time. Technically, almost all applicants are “first time” college students.</p>

<p>I say high reach.</p>

4

<p>You have lots of “government” experience, but do you have any Varsity sports? I think it would have helped to make you look “well-rounded” such that you got our of your chair once in a while. </p>

<p>Additionally, you would be paying out-of-state fees, because California is out of money and Financial aid goes first to in-state residents.</p>

5

<p>A 3.5 might seem low, but top 8% counteracts that (shows its a competitive school). </p>

<p>Of course you’re a candidate. SAT is average but percentile is fine for Berkeley (even if GPA is low). Many “candidates” get rejected every year though. Berkeley is very competitive.</p>

6

<p>Does your school really not offer harder math? It’s just that junior year ‘honors pre-calculus’ and senior year ‘honors calculus’ does not seem like the most rigorous math program available.</p>

<p>But you appear not to be a math person, so I suppose that’s okay. It might even work for you if you mention it in your essays somewhere (but in the right manner, of course, not a “oh sorry I just can’t do it so I didn’t even try” manner).</p>

<p>You have a good enough chance, but you’re out-of-state, and even though Berkeley’s trying to get more OOS students for their money, the candidate pool is still much more competitive than in-state. Your stats are about average, or maybe slightly higher, for this pool.</p>

7

<p>In my school, Honors Pre-Calculus is the highest Pre-Calculus level available. For Calculus, AP Calculus AB is the highest level available, but my school decided not to put me in it and will not change it anymore. Also, taking Pre-Calculus in 11th Grade means that I’m one year advanced in math.</p>